


Do you ponder the Shadow of Men (Who Sold their Lives to a Dream)

by Laurel_Sky



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime)
Genre: Again, Chrome is a good friend, Day 6: Domestic, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff I guess, Gen is a good boyfriend, Gen is a good friend, Insomnia, M/M, Senkuu is sleep deprived, Slight pining Chrome, Slight swearing, Suika is sweet, This was supposed to be fluff where did the angst come from, What's new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22128970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laurel_Sky/pseuds/Laurel_Sky
Summary: Most people think a sleep deprived Senkuu is a muttering, random science fact encyclopedia.....Sleep deprived Senkuu is actually ... just a sleep deprived Senkuu.Thank goodness for Gen.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen & Chrome, Asagiri Gen & Ishigami Senkuu, Asagiri Gen & Suika, Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu, Chrome/Ruri (Dr. STONE)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 358
Collections: Sengen Week 2019-2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in a real hurry, so it probably won't make sense, sorry. I just had this idea and decided to write it before sengen week ran out. 
> 
> I don't own Dr. Stone, obviously:p  
> The title is from the song 'Glitter and Gold' by Barns Courtney:)
> 
> Hope you like it, i guess

_Just three more steps_ , thought Senkuu, walking softly across the floor of the observatory. He was looking forward to plotting a star chart now that he had a telescope, and with luck, he’d finish a part of it tonight.

Unfortunately, he accidentally stepped on the wrong floorboard, releasing a soft creaking sound that was a bit too loud in the silence.

 _Dammit_ , he cursed silently, glancing over his shoulder. The figure currently huddled in blankets shifted slightly, but didn’t wake. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The lack of sleep must really be getting to his head. The normal Ishigami Senkuu would never have made that mistake. Crazy, tired, Ishigami 'I haven't slept in a week' Senkuu? Sure.

He took another quiet step forward.

“Senkuu ~ Chan?”

He cursed under his breath, freezing on the spot, thinking fast.

“Just getting some water. Go back to sleep, mentalist.”

He turned to look at Gen, who was propped on his elbows, blinking blearily at him, although Senkuu could literally hear the gears whizzing in his head.

 _Gears whizzing_ , he winced slightly. How scientific.

“Really, Senkuu ~ Chan? The water pot's in the other corner.”

He didn’t know what to say to that.

“Listen, it’s not a big deal,” he managed to get out. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

“And so you’re spending the night looking through the telescope like you’ve been doing for the past week?”

_Shit. He knew._

“Did you have insomnia back then too, Senkuu ~ Chan?” asked Gen, fully sitting up now. Senkuu sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. 

“We aren’t playing 20 questions, mentalist.”

“Humour me,” Gen said, tilting his head to the side in thought.

Senkuu scoffed. “Obviously,” he replied, and Gen hummed in response.

Senkuu opens his mouth and closes it, does it again, sighs, and sits down beside Gen. All in that order. He was silent for a while, not meeting Gen’s eyes, wondering if he should tell someone. He hadn’t told anyone, not even _Taiju._ Eventually, he made up his mind. Only Gen. No one else would know.

“Byakuya - he’d sing to me sometimes, when I couldn’t sleep.” 

He never talked about Byakuya, solely because if he did, he’d miss him. He couldn’t afford that, not when he had so much work to do. Maybe later, when civilisation was a bit more stable, he’d find time to mourn him. Not now. 

At the same time, he couldn’t help but remember. At times when he felt so full to the brim with equations and experiments and ideas that sleep was the furthest thing from his mind, Byakuya’d stay up at night and sing. His songs were a bit cheesy, and the tune was almost always off - key, but they never failed to put him to sleep. 

“He seemed like a nice person,” said Gen quietly, bringing him back to his thoughts. Senkuu looked up at him and thought he saw a glimpse of sadness in his eyes before it was hidden away.

“He had a horrible singing voice. It sounded like a whale shrieking. It was the cringiest thing ever.”

“Did it work, though?”

He sighed again, rubbing his eye with his left palm. “It did, I suppose.” He looked back at Gen, who flashed a grin back at him.

“So, all I have to do is sing, huh?” he asked, a devilish smirk on his face.

In hindsight, he should’ve seen that coming. Well, if Gen wanted to play, then fine. He just wanted a good night's sleep.

With a fluid movevent, he lay his head on his boyfriend’s lap and pulled the covers up to his chest, signature smirk plastered weakly on his face. Gen just chuckled in response, but Senkuu didn't miss the way he froze for a second before. 

“That eager, are we, Senkuu ~ Chan?”

“Just start already, idiot,” he retorted, tiredness catching up to him.

Gen just smiled, and cleared his throat.

_Flash fire, I'm coming for ya_

_You're gonna fill me like the summer, like the sun in your eyes_

_Hold tight, another minute_

_Another hour, baby_

_I'ma show you you can rely on me_

Gen was a … surprisingly good singer, thought Senkuu. He wondered if he’d taken classes at some point. Well, he’d ask him in the morning. He could feel his thoughts growing quiet already. He moved a bit, unconsciously cuddling into Gen’s waist. 

_I'll give you all you need_

_In a smoke cloud, tryin' to find ground_

_In the place where we belong_

He’d heard Gen sing before, he was standing outside the hut when Gen was making manganese batteries, and it took all his strength not to start laughing outright. Only Gen could sing a song on _batteries_ and make it catchy. Even Ruri hummed the tune occasionally. 

In the back of his head, he noticed how the tune never wavered, even when Gen wasn’t really trying. And now that he _was_ trying, Senkuu just let his mind wrap around the words, and focused on his boyfriend’s voice.

_We don't have to dream to make it beautiful_

_Baby, everything you do is beautiful_

_We can light a fire, watch it everglow_

_We won't burn out, we won't burn out_

Senkuu felt like his bones would melt. Technically, he knew that was impossible, but there wasn’t any other way to explain how he felt. Gen’s voice was smooth, low, and peaceful in a way that made him feel right at home.

At some point, Gen’s hands had found their way into his hair, running through it gently. He accepted it, too tired to move. He didn’t have to look to see the fondness in Gen’s eyes.

People always said home was where the heart was. He finally understood. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy all of a sudden, and he struggled to keep them open.

He was out before Gen started the second verse.

\---------------------------------------------

Gen kept singing till he felt Senkuu’s breathing even out, then gently set him down on their makeshift bed on the observatory floor. He stood up and stretched, glancing out of the window. It was still dark outside. Pressing a small kiss to the sleeping scientist’s temple, he crossed the room in slowly, careful not to step on the creaky floorboard.

“This should be far more interesting than waiting for sunrise,” he murmured, and looked into the telescope at the stars.

About four hours later, a blond haired girl popped her head through the observatory window.

“We’re almost ready to start,” she said. “Are you sure he won’t wake up?”

Gen looked at Senkuu, who hadn’t moved a bit through the night, completely out of it.

“Everything will be perfectly fine, Kohaku ~ Chan,” he said, finding it hard to keep the excitement from his face.

Kohaku smirked, waiting for him to climb down the ladder.

“We’re trusting you with this, you bat bastard. Don’t mess up,” she said harshly, though the grin on her face spoke otherwise.

“Oh, would I ever, Kohaku ~ Chan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY ABOUT THE SONG  
> I THOUGHT IT FITS THEM NICELY AND I COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE
> 
> But seriously, if you can find another one i'll replace it, honest  
> I'm still new to fanfiction and normally take about a week to read/reread my fics but I did this one in a day, I'm impressed:p
> 
> Sorry about the rambling, hope you enjoyed this:)
> 
> Kudos and comments/bookmarks make my day<3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now is Gen's turn, I guess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all those who gave kudos and commented (I wasn't expecting this much:))! I originally was really nervous about posting this, but your encouragement pushed me on, here's a big thank you:)
> 
> P.S. I'm anime only, so I have absolutely no clue who Ryusui is, sorry :P
> 
> That being said, enjoy!!

_“We’re trusting you with this, you bat bastard. Don’t mess up,” she said harshly, though the grin on her face spoke otherwise._

_“Oh, would I ever, Kohaku ~ Chan?”_

____________________________________________________

“So, now that you know the plan, I’m sure you’ll all follow it perfectly! And Magma ~ chan-”

“Got it, now just shut your mouth,” grunted Magma, and Gen grinned.

“But it’s _snowing_ ,” Ginro whined, “Can't we have a day off instead, the weather’s so bad-”, only to fall on deaf ears. 

“- and we’ll be out in the cold, harsh wind, guarding the village,” said Kinro, dragging him off by the hood of his coat, ignoring his protests.

“Keep an eye out for Senkuu ~ chan,” said Gen, waving at their backs. He turned back to the villagers. 

“If things go well, we’ll have till night to set everything up. Let’s make it count!”

The rest of the villagers muttered excitedly, walking back to their huts. As soon as they left, Gen sighed in relief, facade dropping instantly. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and take a nap, but he knew it was futile. He’d be wide awake the moment he did, and the only thing he’d lose was time and effort. The last time it got this bad, he was so paranoid of being attacked that he stayed up for nights making bags of fake blood.

That being said, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. Trying to get his heartbeat back under control, he turned to face Chrome, who had a worried expression on his face.

“Where is Senkuu?” he asked, glancing at the observatory.

Senkuu? Oh, right. Senkuu ~ chan. So he was that tired, huh? Good to know.

“He’s finally asleep, so I decided not to wake him,” he said, and Chrome nodded, pondering.

“He _has_ been looking tired recently. Hasn’t he been sleeping?” 

“Well, he couldn’t, even if he wanted to. It’s called insomnia, pretty common back in the old world.” Seeing Chrome’s expression, like Senkuu had caught pneumonia or something, Gen cracked a small smile.

“Senkuu ~ chan’ll be alright in no time, he’s sleeping now, see?”

Chrome looked unsure, but his reply was cut off by the sound of hurried footsteps and a small voice shouting, “Gen! _Gen!_ ” They turned to see an excited - looking Suika, closely followed by Chalk. She skidded to a stop in front of them, panting slightly.

“We’re ready for the surprise!” she exclaimed. Gen couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm, and bent down to her level. “I’ve checked and double - checked, and the corn is ready!” she continued eagerly. “Now we just have to powder it, right? And then we can set up the pots, and -”

“Don’t forget to breathe, Suika ~ chan, the corn isn’t going anywhere.”

“Can’t we start right now? Please?” she asked, looking up at Gen. How could he say no to that face? Besides, he was feeling pretty excited too. 

“Alright, then, lead the way,” he said, getting up, and Suika practically took off towards the village.

“I haven’t seen Suika this excited, even when Senkuu made the cotton candy,” said Chrome, staring at Suika’s back.

“We’re planning a small surprise for everyone,” Gen smiled. “Something from the modern world.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

“Why not, Chrome ~ chan? I could use a pair of science hands, after all.”

“You’re a pretty decent pair of science hands yourself, Gen.”

“...”

______________________________

They arrived at Suika’s small hut soon enough, and Suika proudly displayed a huge pot of - soaked corn. That wasn’t what Chrome was expecting. He looked at Gen, but he didn’t seem surprised. In fact, he looked just as tired as Senkuu had been lately. Maybe he had the same insom - thing? He’d ask him later.

“So what do we do with this?” he asked, and Gen blinked a few times before replying. 

Yep, Gen definitely had that insom - thing.

After a while, he watched as Gen showed Suika how to mix the powdered corn gently with milk until it formed a paste, then took a new pot and poured an insane amount of milk in it. Was he making … corn milk? He asked Gen, who scrunched up his face in disgust at the thought.

“That would taste awful, Chrome ~ chan. We’re making something much better,” he said, lighting a fire under the pot, and handing him a ladle.

“How’s the special surprise going?” came a voice from the doorway after half an hour or so, and Chrome froze up. Luckily, Gen spoke up for him.

“Oh, hello, Ruri ~ chan! We’re making good progress, with luck, we’ll be done by midnight!”

_Wait, midnight?!_

“Sounds good,” Ruri smiled. “The others are almost done setting up the stalls, they’re really excited!” Finally, she seemed to notice him. “Chrome! Are you here helping Gen too?”

Throat too tight to speak, he managed a nod. Ruri smiled sweetly back, which did not help his condition.

“See you both around, then,” she called out, and she was gone.

“You know,” drawled Gen, adding unspeakable stuff to the milk (including more milk, he’d never understand cooking), “you take pining to a whole new level, Chrome ~ chan.”

He just sighed, sitting down beside him. “You got any advice?”

“It’s pretty obvious she feels the same way. Ask her out. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

“What about you and Senkuu?” he asked, trying to look into Gen’s eyes. “Did you do anything fancy, or?”

Gen huffed with laughter. “Well, I _did_ build him an observatory, but that’s besides the point. Just be yourself, I’m, let’s say, ten - billion percent sure she’ll agree. How about tonight, hmm?”

__________________________________________

About an hour later, Suika returned ( _when did she leave??_ ) with a basket full of strawberries, and they crushed them into bits and poured them, juice and all into the finished pot. _Finally_ , thought Gen, as he helped Chrome pour the mixture into individual small pots with tiny holes Kaseki made for him beforehand, and ten minutes later, Kohaku helped them coat the pots with water and snow, and hung them from the treetops, where they swung gently in the wind.

“That’s to cool them faster,” he explained, feeling thoroughly out of it. He missed the old world, sometimes. The old world where insomnia meant a plateful of ice - cream and a bottle of cola, and watching random physics videos on YouTube till he fell asleep out of boredom ( _He supposed that was where all his scientific knowledge came from_ ). Sure, here he had his very own, cute, walking, talking -

“ -en? _Gen!_ ” someone called. He blinked. Kohaku, Chrome and Suika were staring at him worriedly.

“We’re going to help them with the stalls. You coming?”

He quickly schooled his expression into a smile. “Of course, lead the way, Kohaku ~ chan!”

No one brought his cheery facade, but that was alright. He’d deal with that later.

__________________________________________

  
  


Cold wind blew through the window. Groaning, Senkuu opened his eyes. It was still dark outside. Good. He closed them again, taking in his surroundings. 

He was lying on something hard, and his head was on the pillow. Okay. Carefully, he listened for the sound of Gen’s soft, steady breathing.

Senkuu got up in a flash when he found nothing. Heart racing, he looked around the small room. Gen wasn’t there. Panic settled in his chest.

_No,_ he told himself, _stop being unreasonable, there’s no chance of Hyoga being here, Gen’s probably gone out or something…_

_At two in the night?_

_Dammit, mentalist,_ he thought frantically, getting to his feet and almost running to the window, and looked outside, immediately locking eyes with … Ginro, who went pale and screamed something.

Wait, wasn’t Ginro asleep last he checked? Which meant it was … nighttime. He’d almost slept for an entire day. No wonder Gen wasn’t there.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he looked back at the telescope. 

“I always knew love was a dangerous disadvantage,” he grumbled, getting down the ladder. “Now look, I’m acting like Taiju.”

Senkuu turned around to find himself face to face with Kohaku, and took a step back in shock.

“Hey, Senkuu, you’re finally awake,” she said, smiling. Something wasn’t right.

“Well, yes,” he said. “Now, I have a bone to pick with my boyfriend, so-”

“What did I do this time?” piped in a voice behind him. 

_Oh, the nerve._

Senkuu sent the idiot a glare before marching up to him and enveloping him in a tight hug, smirking when he felt Gen freeze. 

“You scared ten years of my life out of me, I’ll have you know,” he whispered furiously. “I thought Hyoga of all people -”

“I’m fine, Senkuu ~ chan, I just didn’t want to wake you up,” Gen replied, but wrapped his arms around him all the same. “Oh, and we set up a carnival for the villagers. Motivation purposes, mentalist’s orders. Feel free to explore.”

He pulled free and looked at Gen’s grinning face, and internally groaned. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, he supposed.

“Ahem,” interrupted Kohaku, and they both jumped apart, “If you two are done, Father wants you to give an opening speech, Senkuu.” She didn't seem too happy at the prospect.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he sighed, but the smile on his face spoke volumes.

__________________________________________

  
  


Apparently, the villagers (Magma helped, which was stunning at the least) had set up a full - fledged carnival, decorated with electric lights, complete with games, food, and cotton candy. Chrome and Suika joined up with them half - way, being not - so - subtle about a special surprise. He told Kinro and Ginro to have the night off, saying that there was no way in hell anyone would attack them, seeing as they would be making the first move. Overall, he … had fun, he had to admit.

Finally, Senkuu found himself facing a small wooden stall at the very end of the carnival, amongst everyone. “Happy Carnival Day, everyone! Consider this a gift for all your hard work lately,” Gen said, and handed him a bowl of something pink. His eyes widened. 

“Don’t tell me you - well - I’m impressed, mentalist.”

To Gen’s credit, the ice - cream tasted excellent, and the villagers enjoyed it probably more than cotton candy. Chrome was saying something about ‘milk’ and ‘never again’, when people asked him about it, but he’d ask him in the morning. He’d let them enjoy this day while it lasted.

They were all in for hellish work in the morning. 

Later, Senkuu, Gen, Chrome and Kohaku sat in the observatory, after everyone went home for the night (they would have stayed if not for the weather). Chrome went out for a bit of ‘fresh air’, looking nervously at Gen, and returned half - an - hour later with the news that Ruri was now his girlfriend (Senkuu wondered how and when that happened).

Around midnight, Senkuu was just in the middle of telling Chrome how an actual refrigerator worked when he pointed at his shoulder. 

“ _Finally_ ,” Chrome sighed. He paused to look at his shoulder, and smiled. Gen was fast asleep, still sitting on the floor, head resting on Senkuu’s shoulder.

_Looks like you had insomnia too, huh, mentalist?_

___________________________________

After everyone had left, Senkuu carefully set Gen down on the makeshift bed, pausing to marvel at how peaceful he looked like this ( _not innocent, never innocent_ ), before settling down next to him, pulling the covers over them, not missing the way Gen slightly snuggled into him, still completely out of it. He couldn't help but smile, wondering what he ever did to deserve this.

Maybe just for tomorrow, he’d give Gen an off - day, he thought, before closing his eyes.

Needless to say, none of them woke up in the morning.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out my creativity blooms while travelling in the bus:)  
> Hope I didn't bore you all
> 
> A kudos and a comment/bookmark if you enjoyed it, it really makes my day:)

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the rambling, hope you enjoyed reading!!  
> Comments and Kudos/Bookmarks make my day:)


End file.
